Randle recently spoke on this following the Timberwolves’ latest playoff win over the Golden State Warriors when discussing the adversity he has faced. The forward would credit being mentored by Kobe while with the Lakers in really teaching him how to deal with adversity in his basketball career, via NBA on X: “I’ve battled through a lot in my career to be honest. I mean, my first game in my career I broke my leg, so I’ve been through a lot. I had a great mentor in Kobe that didn’t necessarily let me pout or get down on myself. His thing was always ‘Alright, what’s next? How can you get better? How can you improve?’ So I always just kind of took that mentality with me. Growing up, my mom raised me to be a hard worker and not feel sorry for myself so I just think it’s in my DNA and it’s part of who I am. I look forward to challenges, adversity, all that different type of stuff. It’s room for growth.” -via Lakers Nation / May 13, 2025
